STUDIO 201 Recording

QUALITY AND DEDICATION

Why should you consider Studio 201?

Simple! Passion & Dedication! This is not just another studio, everyone who has ever worked here loves their job, loves music, listens to virtually every style of music regularly, has immense talent, and plays at least 2 instruments (often 3 or more). We listen to you, and what you want. One of the most important goals here is that you get a product you feel is worth a lot more than you pay for!

Sure, we have great gear, cool toys, etc... but what really counts is the artist behind the mixing board. We've heard a lot of mixes done at studios charging over $200 an hour that came out sounding like garbage, and in many of those cases the engineer had no clue what the artist wanted (and in many examples the engineer was stuck in 1988-1991, and the mix reflected this).

Engineers at Studio 201 listen to today's music regularly, and work with you to get the sound you want with no arguments, unlike most other studios.

A little about the environment here... It's very laid back and relaxed. We don't charge you when you take breaks (or when the engineer takes a break), and you can spread sessions out over many days of only a few hours each if needed. We have a lounge area for you to kick back in while others are recording, or for everyone to chill in during discussions or acoustic practicing (the lounge includes a couch, DirecTV, kitchen, fast DSL connected computer for web browsing plus quick access to all the popular messaging services). We are right next door to a convenience store, Wells Fargo bank, and Burger King (also, all the major fast food joints are within walking distance, as well as a Bank Of America less than a quarter mile away)... incase you want to go grab a bite to eat, get a soda, etc.

Quality Dedication

NUENDO

Nuendo is the tracking, editing, and mixing system that is used here. Nuendo was designed by the most experienced and knowledgeable programming team in the digital audio community. Several of the programmers helped develop the midi editing environment standards we use today, over 2 decades ago.

Some advantages of Nuendo over other systems (including Pro Tools):
- More plugins available (the biggest range of any system)
- System Link allows the use of many systems to run as one huge system
- Better file & take management with more complete info
- Waveform drawing
- Faster and more comprehensive editing
- Supports an unlimited number of tracks/channels
- Supporting up-to 384kHz for many years now
- Supporting a 32bit floating point mix engine (with many 64bit plugins)
- Virtually impossible to clip (digitally distort)

Nuendo is also the #1 system used with Euphonix consoles. Euphonix makes the largest and most powerful digital consoles available today... often used for huge film projects consisting of several hundred channels (movies sush as Twister and Jurrasic Park).

Some Engineers & Producers Who Prefer Nuendo to any other solution:

ROB HILL
korn, cypris hill, everlast... and many others!

ELLIOT SCHEINER
rem, aerosmith, the eagles, van morrison, kenny loggins, steely dan, woodstock 1994, billy joel, fleetwood mac, david sanborn, diana ross, natalie cole, randy travis, roy orbison, john fogerty, olivia newton john, jimmy buffet, diana ross... and many others!

PHIL RAMONE
madonna, brian setzer, paul mccartney, rolling stones, rod stewart, gloria estefan, elton john, tony bennett, james taylor, chicago, donny osmond, george michael, george benson, dave grusin, natalie cole, ringo starr, les paul, carly simon, lou reed, diane keaton, billy joel, barbra streisand, kenny loggins, kris kristofferson, art garfunkel, paul simon, bob dylan, paul simon, dionne warwick, burt bacharach, the allman brothers, the band, arlo guthrie, frank sinatra, peter paul & mary, harry belafonte, quincy jones... and many others!

CHUCK AINLAY
everclear, james taylor, dixie chicks, ziggy marley, dire straits, chet atkins, wynonna, george strait, peter frampton, stevie nicks, lyle lovett, melissa etheridge, waylon jennings, glen campbell, martina mcbride, willie nelson... and many others!

GREG LADANYI
madona, don henley, asia, toto, reo speedwagon, jackson brown, fleetwood mac, linda rondstadt... and many others!

GARY PACZOSA
twister (soundtrack), songcatcher (soundtrack), larry carlton, vanessa williams, dixie chicks, nickle creek, clint black, alan jackson, george jones, dolly parton, riders in the sky, randy travis, ... and many others!

Nuendo is also famous for use on many albums from artists such as:
- Pink Floyd
- Korn
- U2
- Everlast
- Sting
- Cypris Hill
- Xzibit
- Eminem
- Mariah Carey
- Obie Trice
- Prince
- Queen
- Boo Yaa
- Herbie Hancock
. . . and MANY others!!!

FLOATING POINT PROCESSING

Floating Point processing, Floating Point file storage, and 32/64bit resolution for processing ensures that audio quality is not degraded within the digital domain. Unlike other digital mediums (including those by Mackie, Yamaha, Ramsa, Panasonic, Digidesign-ProTools, and most others) all which process with fixed point and use 16-24bit fixed-point resolutions (with occasional 48bit options for only a select few processing points).

Floating Point processing and file storage means that every time a level is reduced and then regained no bits are lost... the result being a much more natural (analog like), as well as a digitally clean sound... i.e., "the best of both worlds!"

In a typical digital mix levels are raised, lowered, raised, lowered, and raised again in more ways than you could possibly imagine. From gain/trim, to EQ, to compression, to effects, to fader level, to sub-group level, to the main mix level (and much more in-between). In fixed-point based systems (most all digital systems today, including Pro Tools), this can make your mix sound harsh and unpleasant. What is the point in recording at 24bit when that actual audio content is only around 12bit (more or less) in the end? These problems are resolved in systems used at Studio 201.

STUDIO GEAR

Professional (industry standard) Microphones

Class-A Discrete PreAmps

Ultra High Quality A/D Converters

All MonsterCable signal path cabling

Top of the line digital processing algorithms

A few name brands...
AKG, Alesis, Antares, Apogee, Argosy, Audix, Auralex Acoustics, CBI, Clavia, Drumagog, Ebtech, Emagic, Focusrite, Fostex, Juice Goose, Korg, Mackie, MiddleAtlantic, Mogami, Monster Cable, Native Instruments, Nuendo, Neutrik, OzAudio, Plextor, Prosoniq, QuikLok, Raxxess, ReAmp, Rhodes, RME, RPG Diffusors, Shure, Sonic Time Works, Sony, Spectral, Design, SPL, Steinberg, Studio Electronics, Studio Technologies, TC Electronic, Ultra, Universal Audio, WAVES, Yamaha

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT STUDIO EQUIPTMENT

Are you looking for a studio with some specific gear?
If the answer is yes, ask yourself this question:
Is it sound specific, or is it based on needs (i.e., say you need to take a 24 track tape to another studio, etc)?

Of course different gear (mainly analog gear) has specific color and sound. But how sure are you that the sound you want is based on that gear? Please read on...

If you know the sound you want that's a step in the right direction. It is important to know your sound before you enter the studio, and if you can explain the details of that sound you are even better off! But, if you think you need a type of gear to get this sound your chances of getting a product you are happy with are very slim. What happens when you get the final product and it doesn't have the "sound" you wanted? Some musicians and producers constantly drive themselves "MAD" switching their opinions about which piece of gear sounds the best. The better musicians and producers realize that 99.9% of that mix "sound" came from the talent, creativity, and skills of the engineer and producer and NOT the equiptment! This is mentioned to help you decide with your ears and not based on ideas that some magic microphone, box, board, etc., is going to automatically color the sound the way you want it... it just doesn't work that way.

Weighing everything on specific gear is limiting yourself so you have almost nothing left to choose from (lets say that out of 10 studios only studios 5 & 6 have the gear you want, but studio 7 is the one that will give you the sound you want and you didn't even know it because you skipped them or ignored your ears based on some gear based idea). Look at it this way... How sure can you be that the very few solutions left are going to have engineers that understand the sound you want and know how to get it?

The moral is:
If you need certain gear for technical reasons, by all means seek it out! If you like/want gear for sonic reasons that's ok too, but don't base more than 1-5% of your decision on this. Instead, listen to examples the studio can give you (be sure to ask how many hours it took to complete what you are hearing), and see if you feel that you and the engineer communicate well, and that the engineer knows where you are coming from, what you are talking about, and what you need to get the kind of finished product you want.

STUDIO PRICING MISCONSEPTIONS

Is the most expensive studio going to give the best sound? Or is the cheapest studio going to give you the most time to get a good sound? And what about the time YOU need?

It's likely you don't want the most expensive studio, or the cheapest. Hours booked at the really expensive studios aren't usually paid for by musicians and artists, the time is booked and paid for by record labels... so, unless you are in this situation you probably don't want to pay several hundred dollars an hour for studio time.

If you seek out a $20 an hour studio you will be able to spend more time for less money... but ask yourself why the rate is so low? No studio can afford to keep itself in business at such a low price, so it's probably just a guy with a recorder in his garage that thought he could make an extra buck.

Instead of just looking at prices... go to these studios, listen to examples, and ask how long they took to complete. That will give you an idea of what can be done in a given amount of time. Also be sure to ask who mixed it.

If you can only afford around 8 hours... do yourself a BIG favor and focus all that time on 1-3 songs. You usually need at least 5-6 hours per song for a minimally good quality recording which any experianced recording engineer will tell you... (regardless of price). Many will recommend much more time, often 10 hours minimum per song. However, it depends on how many parts your need to record, and how many takes you need to get the best performance.

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